Earlier this year, educators were asked what technological solutions they needed to more effectively educate Arizona’s students and their most critical area of need was an affordable student information system. In an effort to meet this need and help districts both save money and provide resources for teachers, the state has awarded a contract that will provide the latest technology to manage student information at a dramatically reduced price.

Schools will now be able to opt in to this program that will provide extensive student management functions for a cost of less than $10 per student. Currently, more than two-thirds of districts and charter schools annually pay between $18 and $57 per user for education software systems of varying capabilities.

“As part of the department’s continued efforts to reduce bureaucracy in the school system and provide schools with more resources, this will allow districts to redirect millions of dollars of administrative costs back into the classrooms,” stated Superintendent of Public Instructions John Huppenthal. “It is very exciting to be able to offer this valuable technology tool to all districts and charters, regardless of location or budget.”

IT Director Mark Masterson added, “Our department will provide ongoing support to all districts and charter schools that opt-in for the new SSIS, guaranteeing seamless compatibility with future technology.”

ADE is committed to supporting every school and every educator with the resources they need to help students reach their goals. A key component of the Arizona Education Learning Accountability System initiative, the Edupoint-powered SSIS features powerful administrative and reporting capabilities.

The SSIS’s function as a school’s portal to other AELAS services will become even more valuable as ADE rolls out additional parent and student dashboards and offers more learning management and collaboration tools for teachers and school administrators. For information about new technology in Arizona’s education system, visit www.azed.gov/AELAS.